Visit San Luis Obispo County recently held its annual 2016 San Luis Obispo County Tourism Exchange, where over 150 tourism professionals gathered to celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week, and learn the latest industry intelligence and trends from guest speakers. The Exchange featured the first 2016 San Luis Obispo County Tourism Awards, honoring excellence with awards for Visitor Destination Experience, Environmental Tourism Excellence, and the Tourism Hero Award.
The 2016 Visitor Destination Experience award was presented to Breakaway Tours and Event Planning, owned by Jill Tweedie. The award recognizes excellence in creating great customer experiences in San Luis Obispo County. Tweedie is a lifelong resident of the Central Coast, and began her tourism business in 1995, before the term “Wine Tourism” was coined, ahead of the industry. She not only takes great pride in outstanding customer service, but works with each of her drivers/guides to ensure they provide an excellent experience for the guest. “I am humbled and honored to receive such an award from Visit SLO County,” said Tweedie. “It’s been close to 21 years now that I’ve had the pleasure of being part of the (wine) tourism industry here in San Luis Obispo County in collaboration with such amazing partners. I love what I do and I’m proud of what Breakaway Tours has accomplished and I look forward to the next 20 years.”
Highway 1 Discovery Route and the Unincorporated County Tourism BID accepted the 2016 Environmental Tourism Excellence Award for their Stewardship Travel program. The award recognizes excellence in education and a passion for sustainable tourism in San Luis Obispo County. “The unincorporated CBID Advisory Board is proud to be a strong partner with Visit San Luis Obispo County, said Cheryl Cuming, Chief Administrative Officer, Unincorporated County Tourism BID. “We appreciate their acknowledgement of the Stewardship Travel program and what we have developed to connect sustainability, stewardship and tourism.”
Stewardship Travel means connecting with the land, wildlife, history, people and culture of a vacation destination. Along Highway 1 Discovery Route, visitors can help care for 10 destinations by engaging in one or more of over 70 award-winning experiences that will enhance their immersion in the natural and cultural heritage of California’s Central Coast. “The Stewardship Travel program is our effort to more deeply connect our visitors to the area that we all love so much,” said Cuming. “Whether it’s a historical, cultural or outdoor connection, we strive to offer these stewardship activities so that the visitors create a memorable vacation and desire to return again and again. It’s really about the deeper connection and sharing of those experiences.” The program is one-of-a-kind, gaining regional and national recognition for its contributions to eco-tourism and involves 36 community partners (28 local non-profits and 8 businesses).
The Tourism Hero Award was presented to first responders in the recent Morro Rock rescue, where the Morro Bay Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol’s Coastal Division Air Operations recovered a visitor via helicopter. The award recognizes heroic actions that go above and beyond to make a difference in the San Luis Obispo County tourism community. “On behalf of the California Highway Patrol Coastal Division Air Operations unit I’d like to thank Visit San Luis Obispo County for honoring Officer Joe Kingman (helicopter pilot), Officer John Ontiveros (flight paramedic) and Morro Bay Fire Captain Todd Gailey with the Tourism Hero Award,” said Chris Day, Captain, California Highway Patrol. “It is rare for CHP officers and fire departments to receive recognition for the job they do every day, so the Tourism Hero Award means more than you know. Our mission is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security to the citizens of California.” Todd Gailey, Joe Kingman and Jon Ontiveros were present at the Exchange to accept the award.
The San Luis Obispo County Tourism Exchange drew more than 150 tourism professionals from across the county to the Fremont Theatre in San Luis Obispo. Keynote speakers at the workshop included Caroline Beteta, President & CEO, Visit California; Chuck Davison, President & CEO, Visit San Luis Obispo County; Pat Merrill, Partner & co-Founder, Merrill Research; and Brandon Feighner, Director, CBRE Hotels, Valuation and Advisory Services. A special reception was held after at the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Gardens.
“We are very honored to be surrounded by so many accomplished tourism professionals,” said Chuck Davison, president & CEO, Visit San Luis Obispo County. “The Tourism Exchange gives us a wonderful opportunity to be able to gather together and recognize the accomplishments of our peers, and celebrate all that tourism has done for our community and economy.”
For more information on the San Luis Obispo County Tourism Exchange or National Travel & Tourism Week, please visit www.visitsanluisobispocounty.com.